Genetic Risk Factors in Lupus Nephritis and IgA Nephropathy - No Support of an Overlap

Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and nephritis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) are two common forms of glomerulonephritis in which genetic findings are of importance for disease development. We have recently reported an association of IgAN with variants of TGFB1. In several autoimmune diseases, particularly in SLE, IRF5, STAT4 genes and TRAF1-C5 locus have been shown to be important candidate genes. The aim of this study was to compare genetic variants from the TGFB1, IRF5, STAT4 genes and TRAF1-C5 locus with susceptibility to IgAN and lupus nephritis in two Swedish cohorts. Patients and Methods: We genotyped 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four genetic loci in 1252 DNA samples from patients with biopsy proven IgAN or with SLE (with and without nephritis) and healthy age-and sex-matched controls from the same population in Sweden. Results: Genotype and allelic frequencies for SNPs from selected genes did not differ significantly between lupus nephritis patients and SLE patients without nephritis. In addition, haplotype analysis for seven selected SNPs did not reveal a difference for the SLE patient groups with and without nephritis. Moreover, none of these SPNs showed a significant difference between IgAN patients and healthy controls. IRF5 and STAT4 variants remained significantly different between SLE cases and healthy controls. In addition, the data did not show an association of TRAF1-C5 polymorphism with susceptibility to SLE in this Swedish population. Conclusion: Our data do not support an overlap in genetic susceptibility between patients with IgAN or SLE and reveal no specific importance of SLE associated SNPs for the presence of lupus nephritis.Original Publication: Mai Tuyet Vuong, Iva Gunnarsson, Sigrid Lundberg, Elisabet Svenungsson, Lars Wramner, Anders Fernström, Ann-Christine Syvanen, Lieu Thi Do, Stefan H. Jacobson and Leonid Padyukov, Genetic Risk Factors in Lupus Nephritis and IgA Nephropathy - No Support of an Overlap, 2010, PLOS ONE, (5), 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010559 Licensee: Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://www.plos.org/</p

Aggregation and mobility of membrane proteins interplay with local lipid order in the plasma membrane of T cells

To disentangle the elusive lipid-protein interactions in T-cell activation, we investigate how externally imposed variations in mobility of key membrane proteins (T-cell receptor [TCR], kinase Lck, and phosphatase CD45) affect the local lipid order and protein colocalisation. Using spectral imaging with polarity-sensitive membrane probes in model membranes and live Jurkat T cells, we find that partial immobilisation of proteins (including TCR) by aggregation or ligand binding changes their preference towards a more ordered lipid environment, which can recruit Lck. Our data suggest that the cellular membrane is poised to modulate the frequency of protein encounters upon alterations of their mobility, for example in ligand binding, which offers new mechanistic insight into the involvement of lipid-mediated interactions in membrane-hosted signalling events

Genetic variation in the transforming growth factor-β1 gene is associated with susceptibility to IgA nephropathy

Background. There is growing evidence of genetic risk for susceptibility to IgA nephropathy. Among several candidate genes related to immunological regulation in renal tissue, TGFB1 is known to be a contributor to proliferation and the development of fibrosis

Diet Quality Index and food choice motives in Vietnam: The roles of sensory appeal, mood, convenience, and familiarity

Food choices that shape human diets and health are influenced by various socio-economic factors. Vietnam struggles to meet many nutrition targets where links between food choice and diet have not been widely explored. This study assesses the food choice motives, based on a 28-item food choice questionnaire (FCQ), and the diet quality of 603 adults in three sites (urban, peri-urban, and rural) in northern Vietnam. We assess diet quality using the Diet Quality Index–Vietnam (DQI-V) which consists of variety, adequacy, moderation, and balance components. Using factor analysis, we grouped FCQ items into five factors: health focus, sensory appeal, mood ethics, convenience, and familiarity. The structural equation modeling indicates that food choice motives significantly impact the DQI-V and its components but in different directions. The results show that sensory appeal has a positive association with the overall DQI-V score, while having a negative impact on the variety component. Findings present a potential trade-off issue for interventions and policies related to food products. Nutrition knowledge is positively associated with all elements of diet quality across all three study sites. Vietnamese agrobiodiversity could be better utilized to increase dietary diversity. Differentiated policies are necessary to address the poor dietary diversity and adequacy in northern Vietnam

Partial food systems baseline assessment at the Vietnam benchmark sites

Using data collected from a cross-sectional study in Moc Chau, Dong Anh and Cau Giay districts in Vietnam, this report aims to elucidate specific components of local Vietnamese food systems along a rural to urban transect focusing specifically on (i) diets, (ii) nutrition status (anthropometry), (iii) consumer behavior, (iv) food environment, and (v) food flows

Genetic Risk Factors in Lupus Nephritis and IgA Nephropathy - No Support of an Overlap

Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and nephritis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) are two common forms of glomerulonephritis in which genetic findings are of importance for disease development. We have recently reported an association of IgAN with variants of TGFB1. In several autoimmune diseases, particularly in SLE, IRF5, STAT4 genes and TRAF1-C5 locus have been shown to be important candidate genes. The aim of this study was to compare genetic variants from the TGFB1, IRF5, STAT4 genes and TRAF1-C5 locus with susceptibility to IgAN and lupus nephritis in two Swedish cohorts. Patients and Methods: We genotyped 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four genetic loci in 1252 DNA samples from patients with biopsy proven IgAN or with SLE (with and without nephritis) and healthy age-and sex-matched controls from the same population in Sweden. Results: Genotype and allelic frequencies for SNPs from selected genes did not differ significantly between lupus nephritis patients and SLE patients without nephritis. In addition, haplotype analysis for seven selected SNPs did not reveal a difference for the SLE patient groups with and without nephritis. Moreover, none of these SPNs showed a significant difference between IgAN patients and healthy controls. IRF5 and STAT4 variants remained significantly different between SLE cases and healthy controls. In addition, the data did not show an association of TRAF1-C5 polymorphism with susceptibility to SLE in this Swedish population. Conclusion: Our data do not support an overlap in genetic susceptibility between patients with IgAN or SLE and reveal no specific importance of SLE associated SNPs for the presence of lupus nephritis.Original Publication: Mai Tuyet Vuong, Iva Gunnarsson, Sigrid Lundberg, Elisabet Svenungsson, Lars Wramner, Anders Fernström, Ann-Christine Syvanen, Lieu Thi Do, Stefan H. Jacobson and Leonid Padyukov, Genetic Risk Factors in Lupus Nephritis and IgA Nephropathy - No Support of an Overlap, 2010, PLOS ONE, (5), 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010559 Licensee: Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://www.plos.org/</p

Single-port and multiport robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: A&nbsp;meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the perioperative, oncological, and functional outcomes between single-port robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (SP-RARP) and multiport robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (MP-RARP) via a meta-analysis. METHODS: For relevant articles, three electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were searched from their inception until January 15, 2022. A meta-analysis has been reported in line with PRISMA 2020 and AMSTAR Guidelines. The risk ratio&nbsp;and weighted mean difference (MD) were applied for the comparison of dichotomous and continuous variables with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Of the 368 retrieved abstracts, 41 underwent full-text review, and seven studies were included in the final analysis, comprising a total cohort of 1,934 cases of RARP (355 SP-RARP cases and 1,579 MP-RARP cases). Compared to MP-RARP, the SP-RARP group had less postoperative pain score (MD&nbsp;= -0.7, 95% CI -1 to -0.4, P&lt;0.001), morphine milligram equivalents usage (MD&nbsp;= -3.8, 95% CI -7.5 to -0.1, P=0.04), hospital stay (MD&nbsp;= -1, 95% CI -1.8 to -0.1, P=0.019), and urinary catheterization time (MD&nbsp;= -1.1, 95% CI -1.9 to -0.3, P=0.008). However, the SP-RARP group had a longer console time than the MP-RARP group (MD&nbsp;= 5.3, 95% CI 2.6 to 7.9, P&lt;0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that early results were mostly equivalent with the single-port approach. This technology may help to reduce the hospital stay and postoperative pain for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy compared to MP-RARP, without compromising the functional and early oncological outcomes

Systematic Surveillance of Rickettsial Diseases in 27 Hospitals from 26 Provinces throughout Vietnam

In Vietnam, the public health burden of rickettsial infections continues to be underestimated due to knowledge gaps in the epidemiology of these diseases. We conducted a systematic study among 27 hospitals from 26 provinces in eight ecological regions throughout Vietnam to investigate the prevalence, distribution, and clinical characteristics of rickettsial diseases. We recruited 1834 patients in the study from April 2018 to October 2019. The findings showed that rickettsial diseases were common among undifferentiated febrile patients, with 564 (30.8%) patients positive by qPCR for scrub typhus, murine typhus or spotted fever. Scrub typhus (484, 85.8%) was the most common rickettsial disease, followed by murine typhus (67, 11.9%) and spotted fever (10, 1.8%). Rickettsial diseases were widely distributed in all regions of Vietnam and presented with nonspecific clinical manifestations

Diets, Food Choices and Environmental Impacts across an Urban-Rural Interface in Northern Vietnam

Human diets and their associated environmental impacts differ across segments of the population. There is evidence that consumer choices of food intake can also affect the overall environmental impacts of a food system. This paper analyzes the environmental impact of diets and food choices across a rural–urban transect in Northern Vietnam by using mixed survey data from 619 adult respondents. The average greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) resulting from producing the daily food intake of adults in the urban and peri-urban districts were similar, while the average in the rural district was lower. Although starchy staples contributed the most to energy intake, pork and beef were the largest contributors to GHGE. Metrics of blue water use were higher for diets of males than those of females in all three districts. Interestingly, the difference in mean diet diversity score between urban and rural households was significant, and females’ diets were more diverse than those of males. As expected, urban households were more likely to buy food, while rural households often produced their own foods. Urban households reported prioritizing personal health and the natural content of food and would increase seafood and fruits if their income were to increase. In rural regions, interventions aimed at reducing undernutrition should address improving diet quality without significant increases to diet-related environmental impacts